I have two questions:
I want to try the Pearl Drops run-in method of conditioning the drive mechanisms in an Athearn engine. How sparingly do you apply the Pearl Drops, and for how much running time do you leave it in place before tearing down and cleaning it back out of there?
Also, could anybody who has removed factory paint from an engine shell with a brake fluid bath tell me how long they would recommend letting it soak?
Thanks.
soak in brake fluid overnight, scruub with toothbrush, and rinse in warm water. resoake if needed and clean with dish detergent. OK for Athearn’s regular line. May melt other brands!!
“How sparingly do you apply the Pearl Drops, and for how much running time do you leave it in place before tearing down and cleaning it back out of there?”
I use a heavy application of the tooth polish and run the loco about an hour in each direction minimum. I don’t think it really matters how long you leave it in place before cleaning, since it will dissolve away once you soak the gearboxes in water.
“Also, could anybody who has removed factory paint from an engine shell with a brake fluid bath tell me how long they would recommend letting it soak?”
I’ve successfully removed some types of paint with brake fluid by soaking overnight, but don’t really like using it. It can turn the plastic too soft at the surface, then leave the remaining plastic brittle. I switched to Scalecoat’s Wash Away Paint Remover. It works faster, is better on almost all model paint jobs, and doesn’t harm any plastic I’ve used it on.
May I add a followup question? What do you do with the “old” brake fluid? Is it safe or legal to flush it or does it have to be disposed of in a special way (I imagine most garages have ways to deal with this). I guess the stuff can be reused but finally where do you get rid of it?
Dave Nelson
I have strained the fluid to catch the paint and reuse. I have yet to get many uses out of it as I (or someone else) seems to spill it occasionally! I is does not cost much.
The pearl drops method is popular. A good friend of mine applied it on an Athearn GP9 that he purchased around 1978. He ran it for me recently. I was very impressed! It runs much quieter than the two brand new Athearn FP45s that I’ve purchased last year.
The Brake fluid method for paint stripping was very popular in the 70s and 80s. Tthere are other products available at hobby shops that work well at a much faster speed with less mess. Brake fluid can weaken some of today’s plastics.
Additionally the 91% alcohol method is also effective and quick. Just be extremely careful with ANY PRODUCT if you’re stripping KATO locomotive shells. As stated on other threads, Katos should not be stripped with alcohol.
10-4 in Run 8!
I would be a little concern using brake fluid on many of todays plastic…i would go with one of todays paint strippers for plastic product or use alcohol…
If you do decide to use brake fluid, as far as I know it’s now illegal to flush it down a drain - at least, it is over here due to the enviromental damage it causes (and its effects on the drainage system…). Not sure if this is the case in the US as well, but it’s a bad idea from an ecological viewpoint (not one I often adopt!) to flush it - better to take it somewhere that can dispose of it safely - try local garages and ask where they get rid of theirs. As mentioned above, be careful when using this substance - personally, I would suggest using a proper plastic-safe paint stripper designed for models.
I’ve used the toothpaste method for quietening Athearn locos. It does help, but in my experience it’s not a “miracle cure” and you should consider how much time and effort will be involved in stripping, cleaning, and re-lubing the trucks after using the technique. Having said that, I have seen it suggested that you should use “gritty” toothpastes - I used a gel-type on most of mine, and noticed an improvement when I switched to a cheap tube of rather coarse paste from our local supermarket - too rough for human use but perfect for locos!
Personally, I favour filling the trucks with plastic-compatible grease, even if I’ve used the toothpaste technique - I put large blobs of grease on each spur gear after removing the wheelsets. This quietens the locos down a lot when combined with a decent running-in session. This is by no means necessary for all Athearn locos - my SD9 ran better than my Proto 1K locos straight from the box!
dakotatrains,
Have used the Pearl Drops on a few Athearns. One thing to consider before you start is changing out the wheelsets, I like the NWS and when assy use a tiny dab of epoxy to set the axle halves in gauge. DON’T forget the bushings as I once did! This is only one step in the rebuilding or tuning of the chassis (as mentioned above; is not a miricle cure). I don’t recommend adding the tooth polish and try to run as you would on a track/ layout- run the engine very hard w/ various speeds on a test track. After a minute or two you have to add a drop of water to free up the paste- then continue running( I hold the chassis in place to let it spin up. Do this only a few times ,3-4 minutes, then disassemble the trucks immediatly. I use a styrofoam tray (meat dept) to lay out the pieces. Don’t mix or reverse any gears even the worm. A wear pattern will have been created and needs to be assembled as such. I usually use Labelle/ teflon grease but it has been mentioned here to use transmission fluid (sounds good but cannot comment from experience). This is also the best time to repower, rewire, Isolate the motor/ frame for DCC and clean up the driveshafts/ U-joints from flash or misalighnment. Shim the motor shaft end play if needed and poli***he commutator (run motor and clean up w/ min 400# or finer wet or dry paper. Shim the worm gear end play if excessive. Don’t clip the brush springs as some articles on tuning recommend unless you know exactly what to do. Usually end up w/ a motor that starts easy but runs poorly under load and speed. Another item to consider is if you plan to body mount the couplers this is the time to cut off the coupler lugs from the frame. Doing this with assembled trucks on the frame can lead to filings in the truck or motor. With proper Tweaking and weighting the shell you can make older Athearns run smoother than most P2K’s-- To run as well or close to better brands, repowering with a quality can motor is a must.
Good luck on yuor project. Bob K.
I’ve never heard of the pearl drops method of conditioning your engine. Can some one explain this in a little more detail? What is the objective of using it, and what will it do? Where do you put the pearl drops?
Dave
Hello Dave.
Re: Pearl Drops.
Because of it’s gentle yet abrasive properties, it helps scrub and poli***he gears in model locomotive trucks. In the process, tiny bits of flash and burs that may be present are scrubbed off.
After removing the covers on the locomotive’s trucks, apply several drops of the polish directly onto the gears of both trucks. Run the locomotive for about 45 minutes. (Reverse its direction after 20 minutes)
When finished, disassemble the trucks and wa***he gears thorougly. Scrub with a soft bristle tooth brush. Some modelers use a small pan containing a mixture of water and alcohol.
Inspect the gears and check for any burs or flash. Reassemble. Apply gear lubricant (Labelle). Run the unit. If it’s an Athearn, the “Growl” should be quieter.
There are variations of this method, but this is it basically.
Hope this helps! [:)][:D][;)]
Thank you
You’re welcome Dave. If you do try this method, please let us know your results.
High Greens[;)][8D]
Someone suggested soaking parts in brake fluid overnight. I would suggest doing this when you’re around all day so you can check the parts every few hours at most. B.F. doesn’t seem to have any affect on some plastics, while attacking others. Checking every hour or so takes care of that.
I’ve used brake fluid, but now I use PineSol. It comes in large plastic bottles. Pine Sol floats the paint off in large chips which can be strained through cheese cloth as you pour it back in the bottle. After you’re done, the Pine Sol looks like chocolate milk; go back and look at it in a few days, and all the paint has settled to the bottom.
As with the brake fluid, check the parts soaking frequently…every hour or so. I know a guy[ no, not me] who ruined a hard-to-find Rivorossi baggage-mail car by leaving it in the soup too long. If you care about the part, check it often!
I have found that the Pearl Drops will start to thicken and the gears will start binding after only a couple of minutes of operation, this is why I chose not to normally run the chassis on the layout. Spinning up the drive while holding on a test track gives you the ability to add drops of water when the paste starts to thicken. Allow the normal chassis weight to lay on the rails, though, as the gear lash will open when the axles drop if raised off the rails. Do reverse direction and add more paste if needed.
Bob K.
Thanks for the tip Robert!
Always good to read about different techniques. [:)][:D][8D][;)][8)]
I’ve heard also that 409 Cleaner will also do a good job of stripping paint safely from plastic shells.
Pearl Drops works pretty well in my opinion. I have also used a paste made up of baking soda and another one made with Ajax cleanser. The Ajax worked pretty good too. I always used more than a few drops of whatever I used - I really socked it to it to where the gearcase was full of it. When you are done, wash everything thoroughly. Some of the abrasives in the paste do not dissolve in water.
I second Pine Sol for paint removal. It’s the only thing I found that will touch the old Rivarossis paint jobs, and though I watch closely, it hasn’t attacked any plastic yet. If the smell bothers you, as a final step wash in very warm (as warm as you can stand) water with blue Dawn dishwashing liquid. No lingering smell.
Does the Pearl Drops thing ONLY apply to Athearn Blue Box locos, or ALL Athearn locos…and JUST Athearn locos, or ALL manufacturer’s locos, or…
I never really knew for sure. [?]
I suppose you could use pearl Drops on any noisy gearbox.